IR 05000255/2008502

IR 05000255-08-502, on 09/15/2008 - 09/19/2008, Palisades Nuclear Plant, Baseline Emergency Preparedness Biennial Exercise Inspection

ML082840557
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	10/08/2008
From:	Hironori Peterson Operations Branch III
To:	Schwarz C Entergy Nuclear Operations
References
IR-08-502
Download: ML082840557 (11)

Text

ber 8, 2008

SUBJECT:

PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT BASELINE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS BIENNIAL EXERCISE INSPECTION 05000255/2008502

Dear Mr. Schwarz:

On September 19, 2008, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed a Baseline Emergency Preparedness Biennial Exercise inspection at your Palisades Nuclear Plant. The enclosed report documents the inspection findings, which were discussed on September 19, 2008, with members of your staff.

The inspection examined activities conducted under your license as they relate to safety and compliance with the Commissions rules and regulations and with the conditions of your license.

The inspectors reviewed selected procedures and records, observed activities, and interviewed personnel.

Based on the results of this inspection, no NRC-identified and no self-revealed findings of safety significance were identified.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records System (PARS) component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Sincerely,

/RA/

Hironori Peterson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-255 License No. DPR-20 Enclosure: Inspection Report 05000255/2008502 w/Attachment: Supplemental Information cc w/encl: Senior Vice President Vice President Oversight Senior Manager, Nuclear Safety & Licensing Senior Vice President and COO Assistant General Counsel Manager, Licensing W. DiProfio W. Russell G. Randolph Supervisor, Covert Township Office of the Governor T. Strong, State Liaison Officer Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Michigan Office of the Attorney General

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

IR 05000255/2008502; 09/15/2008 - 09/19/2008; Palisades Nuclear Plant; Baseline Emergency

Preparedness Biennial Exercise Inspection.

This report covers a 1 week period of baseline inspection by two regional inspectors and a resident inspector. The NRCs program for overseeing the safe operation of commercial nuclear power reactors is described in NUREG-1649, Reactor Oversight Process, Revision 4, dated December 2006.

NRC-Identified

and Self-Revealed Findings

Cornerstone: Emergency Preparedness

No findings of significance were identified.

Licensee-Identified Violations

No violations of significance were identified.

REPORT DETAILS

1EP1 Exercise Evaluation

.1 Exercise Evaluation

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors reviewed the September 16, 2008, biennial emergency preparedness exercises objectives and scenario to ensure that the exercise would acceptably test major elements of the licensees emergency plan and to verify that the exercises simulated problems provided an acceptable framework to support demonstration of the licensees capability to implement its plan. The inspectors also reviewed records of other drills and exercises conducted in 2006, 2007, and 2008, to verify that those drills scenarios were sufficiently different from the scenario used in the September 16, 2008, exercise.

The inspectors evaluated the licensees exercise performance, focusing on the risk significant activities of emergency classification, notification, and protective action decision making, implementation of accident mitigation strategies, and correction of past exercise weaknesses in the following emergency response facilities:

• Control Room Simulator (CRS);

• Technical Support Center (TSC); and

• Emergency Operations Facility (EOF).

The inspectors also assessed the licensees recognition of abnormal plant conditions, transfer of responsibilities between facilities, internal communications, interfaces with offsite officials, readiness of emergency facilities and related equipment, and overall implementation of the licensees emergency plan.

The inspectors attended post-exercise critiques in the CRS, TSC, and EOF to evaluate the licensees initial self-assessment of its exercise performance. The inspectors later met with the licensees lead exercise evaluators and managers to obtain the licensees findings and assessments of its exercise participants performances. These self-assessments were then compared with the inspectors independent observations and assessments to assess the licensees ability to adequately critique its exercise performance. Documents reviewed are listed in the Attachment to this report.

This exercise evaluation inspection constituted one sample as defined in Inspection Procedure (IP) 71114.01-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA1 Performance Indicator Verification

.1 Drill/Exercise Performance

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors sampled licensee submittals for the Drill/Exercise Performance performance indicator (PI) for the period from the 3rd quarter 2007 through the 2nd quarter 2008. To determine the accuracy of the PI data reported during those periods, PI definitions and guidance contained in the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

Document 99-02, Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline, Revision 5, were used. The inspectors reviewed the licensees records associated with the performance indicator to verify that the licensee accurately reported the indicator in accordance with relevant procedures and the NEI guidance. Specifically, the inspectors reviewed licensee records and processes including procedural guidance on assessing opportunities for the PI; assessments of PI opportunities during predesignated control room simulator training sessions, performance during the 2007 off-year exercise, and performance during other drills. Documents reviewed are listed in the Attachment to this report.

This inspection constituted one drill/exercise performance sample as defined in IP 71151-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

.2 Emergency Response Organization Drill Participation

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors sampled licensee submittals for the Emergency Response Organization (ERO) Drill Participation performance indicator for the period from the 3rd quarter 2007 through the 2nd quarter 2008. To determine the accuracy of the PI data reported during those periods, PI definitions and guidance contained in the NEI Document 99-02, Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline, Revision 5, were used. The inspectors reviewed the licensees records associated with the performance indicator to verify that the licensee accurately reported the indicator in accordance with relevant procedures and the NEI guidance. Specifically, the inspectors reviewed licensee records and processes including procedural guidance on assessing opportunities for the PI; performance during the 2007 offyear exercise and other drills; and revisions of the roster of personnel assigned to key emergency response organization positions.

Documents reviewed are listed in the Attachment to this report.

This inspection constituted one ERO drill participation sample as defined in IP 71151-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

.3 Alert and Notification System

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors sampled licensee submittals for the Alert and Notification System (ANS)performance indicator for the period from the 3rd quarter 2007 through the 2nd quarter 2008. To determine the accuracy of the PI data reported during those periods, PI definitions and guidance contained in the NEI Document 99-02, Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline, Revision 5, were used. The inspectors reviewed the licensees records associated with the performance indicator to verify that the licensee accurately reported the indicator in accordance with relevant procedures and the NEI guidance. Specifically, the inspectors reviewed licensee records and processes including procedural guidance on assessing opportunities for the PI and results of periodic ANS operability tests. Documents reviewed are listed in the Attachment to this report.

This inspection constituted one alert and notification system sample as defined in IP 71151-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA6 Management Meetings

.1 Exit Meeting Summary

• On September 19, 2008, the inspectors presented the inspection results to you and other members of the licensee staff. The licensee acknowledged the issues presented. The inspectors confirmed that none of the potential report input discussed was considered proprietary.

.2 Public and Media Briefing

• On September 19, 2008, the inspector summarized the NRC's preliminary exercise inspection conclusions at a public and media briefing hosted by Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency Region V Field Office staff in Paw Paw, Michigan.

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

C. Schwarz, Site Vice President

C. Arnone, Nuclear Safety Assurance Director

J. Bergeron, Maintenance Superintendant

N. Brott, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

B. Dotson, Licensing Specialist IV

M. Fields, Emergency Preparedness Specialist

J. Fontaine, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

A. Jones, Quality Assurance

T. Kirwin, Plant General Manger

L. Lahti, Licensing Manager

D. Malone, Emergency Preparedness Manager

W. Nelson, Emergency Preparedness Training

M. Sweet, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

J. Giessner, Resident Inspector

LIST OF ITEMS

OPENED, CLOSED AND DISCUSSED

Opened, Closed and

Discussed

None Attachment